IMA Academy

IMA is a part of the University of Bordeaux in France that specializes in educating students about maintaining and repairing aircraft. The academy owns several retired aircraft (pictured below) that are available for students to study and reverse engineer specific parts, especially jet engines.

While IMA Academy especially appeals to Aerospace and Mechanical Engineers, all students should visit IMA because of the innovative technology that the academy possesses. The academy has also recently launched a dual-master’s degree program with the University of Cincinnati. The program consists of studying the first year at UC where most of the conventional teaching and classes are completed. Then the second year is at IMA Academy where the student puts the content learned at UC into practical experience with the technology at IMA, including flying simulators and hands-on aircraft maintenance. This program not only results in earning a master’s program, but also adds a global citizen to one’s resume. While at IMA, the student will be immersed in the French culture and will learn to communicate and work in a multi-cultural team, as students come from all over the world to study at IMA. An example of global teamwork that I witnessed at IMA was the human-powered glider (pictured at right) that was being constructed for a competition by two students of differing nationalities, one French and the other Moroccan.

If you are considering earning your master’s degree, why not study internationally for one year and gain a new perspective on engineering in a different culture and learn how to work in a global team?